Page:The most ancient lives of Saint Patrick - O'Leary.djvu/66

 of dry faggots, and the other half of fresh materials. The druid was put into the fresh part, and Patrick's casula about him. Benen, however, was put into the dry part, with the druid's tunic about him. The house was afterwards closed and fastened on the outside, before the multitude, and fire was applied to it. A great prodigy occurred there through Patrick's prayers. The fresh part of the house was burned, as well as the druid under the casula, and not a bit of the casula was destroyed. The dry portion, in which was Benen, however, was not burned, and God preserved Benen under the druid's tunic, and the tunic was burned, so that it was reduced to ashes. The king was greatly enraged against Patrick for the killing of his druid. He arose, and would like to slay Patrick; but God did not permit it, through the intercession of Patrick. The anger of God fell afterwards on the impious multitude, so that great numbers of them died&mdash;viz., twelve thousand in one day. Patrick said to Laeghaire: "If you do not believe now, you shall die quickly; for the anger of God will come upon your head." When the king heard these words, he was seized with great fear. The king went into a house afterwards to take counsel with his people. "It is better for me," said he, "to believe in God than [to suffer] what is threatened to me&mdash;my death." It was after this that Laeghaire knelt to Patrick, and believed in God, and many thousands believed in that day.

Then it was that Patrick said to Laeghaire: "Since you have believed in God, and have submitted to me, length of life in thy sovereignty will be given thee. As a reward for thy disobedience some time ago, however, there will be no king nor roydamhna from thee for ever, except Lughaidh," the son of Laeghaire; for his mother implored Patrick that